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Full of Heart

Valentine's Day on a Dime

By Tawra Kellam

Using a little imagination, you can make your Valentine's Day a little more fun and a lot less expensive. If you want to add a little personalized romance or if you don't have the time or money to buy all the pre-made things in the store, here are some ideas to help you make the day special.

• My mom always made a great but inexpensive Valentine's Day treat for us. She would take construction paper and cut a big heart out of it (about 8 x 10 inches). Then, she would staple the edges together and write our names and an "I love you" on the outside. She would fill the heart with candy, purchased on clearance after Christmas. It was very inexpensive but we loved it!
• Do a Valentine's treasure hunt. Leave little notes around with the last one leading back to the kitchen table with a heart full of candy.

• Make heart-shaped Valentine's cookies by cutting the kids (or hubby's) sandwiches with heart-shaped cookie cutters to make a heart sandwich. Add a few Valentine's chocolates and put a note in red with a big heart on their napkin.
• Serve anything red for the day. Serve red Jell-O, red pudding, red apples, toast with strawberry jelly, tomato soup, red applesauce, red Kool-Aid, strawberry milk or red frosted cookies. Use powered food coloring from the cake store to get the deepest shade of red. Leave sticks of red gum in their Valentine's Day cards.

• Make red heart-shaped cupcakes. Make cupcakes as usual but place a marble down the side of the muffin tin between the muffin tin and each cupcake cup. This will make heart-shaped cupcakes.
• Make hearts out of chocolate chips in each of your pancakes.
• Mail your pre-addressed and stamped Valentines to Loveland, Colo., and they will postmark them and mail them for you. Send them to: Postmaster, Attn: Valentines, Loveland, CO 80537
• Make a treasure hunt for your spouse. Start by mailing or e-mailing him the first clue. Then leave clues all over the house, yard, car or his office telling him where to find the next clue. End the hunt by making a picnic in the backyard or going to a park for a picnic. Use your imagination and have fun. The simple things are the ones people remember.

Want to see more?

• Valentine's Day the Preschool Way
• Poetry on a Plate: A Valentine's Dinner for Less Than $6
• Ideas for Valentine's Day: 10 Healthy – and Alluring – Suggestions
• Be Good to Your Valentine: Foods That Say "I Love You"
• Talk about it!